Communication gap ‘spurring divorces’

Manama, August 18, 2013

A lack of communication between Bahraini couples is the main reason for a drastic spike in divorce rates since the start of the year, according to experts.

The latest Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry figures show 395 marriages were recorded between January and June this year, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

However, a total of 873 divorces were also approved by the Sunni and Jaafari Sharia courts during the same period.

Marriage counsellors attribute the "concerning" increase to young newlyweds who cannot agree on how to raise their children, properly end an argument or choose to live different lifestyles.

Leading family therapist Mohammed Sayed said people are not being educated on the importance of communication in a marriage.

He explained young couples tend to rush into wedlock and have vastly different expectations and end up poles apart.

"The high number of divorces is due to lack of awareness in terms of communication between couples," he said.

"This is because couples were not taught how to build a communication channel. They are not told that each gender is different in terms of building a relation and means of communication."

Sayed said the unavailability of professional workshops to prepare couples for married life has also affected the nature of relationships in Bahrain.

"There is a need for courses to prepare couples for married life," he said.

"It should be organised for them before they get married so they know how to build communication, how to discuss issues and how to agree on ways of raising their children. Those are usually the most issues which create arguments."

His comments were reiterated by leading social counsellor Ghada Ahmed, who said one of the signs of a failed marriage was when spouses cannot communicate following an argument.

"For example, a woman who sees her husband angry tries to make him talk the way she would want to, not understanding that men usually like to seclude themselves when in a bad mood," she explained. "This as you can imagine causes problems and miscommunication between the two, who refuse to understand the difference in approach."

Ahmed suggested having communication skills classes in schools to build stronger marriages in the future.

"Communication differences among genders should be taught in high school and university to mend this gap," she said. "It can then help avoid such cases in the future and form strong marriages."

The figures also revealed that Sunni Sharia courts approved 169 cases of Bahrainis marrying expatriates since the start of the year. – TradeArabia News Service